Meet Dr. Ma!
Microscopic image of cerebral cortex neurons (courtesy of Qiu Lab).
Dr. Ma remembers the first time he saw neurons, noting that it catalyzed his life-long fascination with genetic studies. “When I first saw them under a microscope, they looked like a tree. It’s very interesting how their shape allows for communication.” Neurons are responsible for messaging between the brain and body. Today, as a researcher working with PI Dr. Shenfeng Qiu (Professor, Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine-Phoenix), Dr. Ma is seeking to map the development of the cerebral cortex circuitry using pioneering technology.
Dr. Ma’s research focus is the relationship between the neuronal synaptic connectivity and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. Building on the laboratory’s previously published findings, he is working with a protein encoded by the “MET” gene that appears to play a role in cell signaling growth and survival. The project calls upon Dr Ma’s extensive technical skills, including his experience performing in-vitro whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and glutamate uncaging photostimulation – where light stimulates release of a neurotransmitter in the brain. Indeed, Dr. Ma and others in Qiu lab are among a select few researchers in the United States with access to this trailblazing laser scanning photostimulation technology.
After 4 years as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr Qiu’s laboratory, Dr. Ma has published more than 15 publications. Throughout this time, he has benefited from the collaborative nature of the College of Medicine (Phoenix) campus which provides opportunities to learn from others through frequent seminars and research conferences. Dr. Ma’s goal in his current project is to expand understanding of the connection between the MET gene and neurodevelopment. His hope is to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic interventions and diagnostic tools to support families as they navigate caring for loved ones with neurodevelopmental disorders.
See Dr. Ma’s publications here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m1idjQ0AAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1&oi=ao